The resort is compared to the country music attractions in Branson, Missouri.
It is set to have country music venues, an upscale RV park, dinner theaters, and an Amusement park.
And, although thousands of jobs are set to come to Houston County with the project, West hopes to see downtown Dothan benefit.
"If we could bring that here and get that going, then maybe we feed off of that in our downtown and really create the cultural and entertainment district that we think downtown should be," says West.
There is still no word on where the complex will be built, but it’s down to four pieces of land.
Still no land deal 03/11/08 As of 9:50 last night, attorneys were still working with landowners to finalize a deal for the Country Crossing site. Not sure if there is a snag with one or more of the landowners, or if the logistics of dealing with multiple landowners is slowing down the process. Yesterday Gilley said there is a Plan B site, very close to the existing site, should Plan A fall through.
Culver speaks to Rotary Club 03/11/08 County Commission Chairman Mark Culver spoke to his home club Monday, the Dothan Rotary Club, and received a standing ovation along with County Commissioners Frances Cook, Bobby Snellgrove and Phil Forrester, who were also in attendance. “That felt really good,” Culver said afterwards. The accolades from the approximatey 150 in attendance came because of the BIG FISH the county has landed. That’s the economic development project you’ve been reading about lately known as Country Crossing which brings with it 3,000 direct jobs in up to five years, along with a $300 million investment, entertainment like you’ve driven miles and miles to see, and oh yes, bingo. The Rotary Club is a very old organization of business and professional people and its membership includes doctors, lawyers, politicians, business owners, etc., etc. The club, generally speaking, is a conservative bunch. So was it a surprise when club member Shelton Bailey stood up after Culver’s 15-minute speech on Country Crossing and said, “I just want to say to each one of you, thanks. You have researched it pretty well and we appreciate what you have done.” With that, most of the crowd stood and applauded. What the county has done is work within the confines of the law to allow this Little Nashville to come in, yes, with bingo. And jobs. And tourists. Hotels and other infrastructure. And extra business. And bingo which is not without community concerns over what this “gambling” will bring with it. Addiction and crime are the most talked about. The question repeatedly asked is why does it have to include bingo? People love Country Crossing, but bingo? Businessman Jim Whaley posed the question Monday, to which Culver replied: “First, it adds absolutely to the financial ability to do other things. Having this revenue source makes it viable from an investment perspective. And second, that’s not our call.” As Culver explained, when Michelin announced its location here, no one stepped forward and interjected their ideas on what sort of tires should be made there. Light truck or SUV? Ditto Sony. It’s not our call what tape Sony manufactures. We trust they know their industries better than the man on the street. And so it goes with the investors of Country Crossing, three of whom are George Jones, Joel Katz and James Stroud. Katz is an Atlanta attorney who’s client list includes The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Buffet, Mark Anthony, James Taylor, Willie Nelson, whom he has a 35-year relationship with, Big and Rich, Alan Jackson, George Strait. George Jones and many others in country music media. He is counsel for the Grammy’s, the Gospel Music Association awards and the Country Music Association awards. Stroud is a heavy-hitting record producer in Nashville who, it is said, has sold three production companies in his career. In his letter of support, Stroud wrote that over the past 25 years in Nashville, he has “established many successful relationships in the entertainment industry and I’m committed to the promotion and success of our Country Crossing project. Several Nashville premier artists are going to be involved with Country Crossing. As the PRESIDENT (my emphasis) and EQUITY PARTNER of Ronnie Gilley Entertainment, LLC, I couldn’t be more excited about the future of this project.
The size needed to accommodate this project is 500 acres.
About 776 acres of land just off Highway 231 South near West Smithville Road and State Highway 109 will be the site of the proposed Country Crossing development. Developer Ronnie Gilley confirmed the deal to the Dothan Eagle at 5:30 p.m. Thursday after the final contract was signed. Gilley said about 17 parcels of land are involved, which required about 15 signatures. Gilley declined to discuss how much his company paid for the land. “Pretty relieved,” Gilley said Thursday after the deal was finalized. Gilley said planner Apogee Attractions, which has helped plan several resorts including Epcot Center, Disneyland Resort and other venues, is expected to be on site next week to begin applying the Country Crossing plan to the land. The land includes about one mile of frontage off Highway 231 South and extensive frontage on both sides of West Smithville Road from Highway 231 to State Highway 109. The project is expected to include multiple country music-themed restaurants and dinner theaters, an entertainment midway, a 3,000+ seat amphitheater and a fairgrounds that will host at least 10,000. Gilley said he hopes to break ground on the project in 90 days. He also said the project could expand to include more land. The next local step will be the creation of a Capital Improvement Cooperative District — a partnership between Houston County and Gilley's acquisition company — to facilitate the project. The district must be created through an act of the Houston County Commission.
Country Crossing not exactly a Branson clone 03/15/08 Tourists to Branson, Mo., can buy tickets to see a number of entertainers this year including the Oak Ridge Boys, Bobby Vinton, and Moe Bandy. Not playing Branson this year are, among others, Alan Jackson, George Strait, George Jones, Lorrie Morgan, Darryl Worley, John Anderson, Brooks & Dunn, Big & Rich, Tracy Lawrence, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney. Those not on this year’s schedule in Branson are all country music entertainers who have either signed performance/investment commitments for Country Crossing or are connected to some of the investors and therefore, might be convinced to open a venue or perform at the development, expected to open in the summer of 2009. Unlike Branson, with a variety of entertainment, Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley of Enterprise said the Houston County project, to be located just south of the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds, is pure country. “There is a huge myth associated with Branson, Missouri,” he told county commissioners when the project was unveiled three weeks ago. “You think you will get to see Alan Jackson or Tim McGraw. The reality is, you will never, ever go to Branson and see a big country music star. That is a myth.” While fly fishing has for years drawn many to Branson, Houston County has a lot of transient traffic. During the warm weather months especially, traffic backs up on U.S. 231 South with spring breakers, family vacationers and Atlanta condo owners, all headed to some of the most beautiful beaches in the United States. “There is no transient market in Branson,” Gilley said. “You are not passing through Branson on the way to the beach and want to stop off and watch the Possum (George Jones) perform.” Country Crossing investor Joel Katz of Atlanta said the Southeastern United States is a perfect location for a strictly country music destination. “The country music community will support it,” Katz told county commissioners. “Country music is uniquely American. It is music performed and written by Americas and about American occurrences of everyday life.” Like Branson, Country Crossing will become a destination, a place popular among retirees, RVers, and baby boomers, developers expect. A place that grows, much like Branson, in the midst of a small, rural area, only from land that used to produce peanuts. But unlike Branson, which developed over years, Country Crossing will evolve as planned. “Branson was scrambled together with little planning,” Katz said. “Country Crossing is a planned development, based on the artistry and focus of the American culture, with a focus on country music and how it influenced our country and heritage.”
Bingo, the Qs and the As 03/19/08 Recent changes by the Houston County Commission to charitable bingo regulations pave the way for electronic bingo to exist at the proposed Country Crossing development in south Houston County. Below are a few questions and answers about electronic bingo. Q: What is electronic bingo? A: Electronic bingo is a high-tech variation of traditional bingo in which video terminals controlled via computer are used to play and keep track of multiple bingo cards. Players may purchase and play multiple cards for additional wagers. Q: Are electronic bingo machines slot machines? A: Not by legal definition. Alabama law requires terminal screens on electronic bingo machines to closely resemble a traditional paper bingo card, with a 5X5 matrix full of squares with letters, numbers or symbols. However, many electronic bingo machines display the grid on a small screen near the top of the video terminal. Larger terminal screens at eye level resemble those found on traditional slot machines. Q: But haven’t some electronic bingo machines in Alabama been deemed illegal? A: Yes. A Jefferson County judge recently ruled machines there did not meet legal requirements. Q: What is the main difference between electronic bingo machines and slot machines? A: The method of competition. Slot machine players are competing against the house, or casino. In Alabama, electronic bingo machines are electronically linked to each other. In essence, the participants in each game are playing against each other. Q: How much does it cost to play? A: Wagers vary, and can be as low as a penny per turn or as high as several dollars per turn. Q: How much can you win? A: Some jackpots in Alabama can run into six figures. Billboards advertising Quincy’s Triple 7 in Shorter — where electronic bingo is played — publicize some winning jackpots of more than $100,000. Q: How do you collect? A: Players with a positive balance on their machines can simply hit a “cash out” button that will print a voucher that can be redeemed at a cashier’s booth for cash. Q: How much goes to charity? A: Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley has pledged at least $2 million annually to local charities. Greenetrack in Greene County divides about $1.67 million annually between 80 registered charities, according to the Tuscaloosa News. At VictoryLand in Shorter, weekly electronic bingo “sessions” are held on behalf of 60 registered Macon County charities. Owner Milton McGregor recently announced a payout increase to approximately $1.5 million among the registered charities, or $25,000 split equally among the 60 charities, according to the Tuskegee News. Q: How many electronic bingo machines will Country Crossing have? A: Gilley said he is still unsure. He said 1,500 machines would not be an unreasonable amount, possibly starting with fewer machines and increasing as business increases. If business increased more, then the number of machines could rise above 1,500.
Country Crossing Opening Date ? Citizens across the Wiregrass are wondering when the Country Crossing project will begin.
Building a large vacation-entertainment destination is not something done overnight. But, it can develop gradually month after month, and that’s how Ronnie Gilley plans on introducing County Crossing to southeast Alabama. Ronnie Gilley, owner of Ronnie Gilley Properties said, "All part of the first phase of the construction will be the Midway Theme Park, the Amphitheater, the Musical Fairgrounds, which will hold about four festivals a year." The Tracy Lawrence Bar-B-Q and Opera House is expected to be the first entity of phase one. Next to come is the George Jones' Restaurant. "Possum Holler is an upscale dinner theater,” Gilley adds. “It'll take a little longer to build, but it’s coming." And, so is an RV park designed with the baby boomer generation in mind. "We're going to build an upscale RV park with 500 slots on it and we'll go up from there," Gilley said. If you want to leave the RV at home, you can stay at the Hawaiian Pearl, which Gilley says, "That'll be the first resort hotel. We're very excited about it. That will have an indoor water park attached to the hotel; [along with a] three star, conference room." Other lodging accommodations are expected to be phased through in about three years. Gilley says a charity bingo facility is expected to create a positive impact for Country Crossing and the county. "With its cost structure associated with this project, it’s going to be a vehicle, which delivers major commerce throughout Houston County in a very robust way that will afford us the opportunity to come in and put a resort destination park for families to vacate every year." Because the project moved from Coffee to Houston County, a lot of alterations are being done to the original plans. For instance, there may not be a water park coming into Country Crossing because of Dothan’s Water World facility.
DOTHAN,ALABAMA COUNTRY CROSSING- Houston County Chairman Mark Culver held a meeting TODAY – 08/12/2008
To discuss infrastructure needs of Ronnie Gilley’s Country Crossing project. Several engineers and architects were present from Gilley’s firm as well as Houston County, State D.O.T. and others.
According to Culver, the meeting was originally planned to happen two weeks ago but was postponed. “As this project moves along, we will have to do so rapidly,” said Culver. The meeting was to allow infrastructure providers to ask questions of the developers, said Culver.
Culver added that in order to dispel rumors, he wanted people to hear it from the horse’s mouth, and hear it they did when Ronnie Gilley made his presentation.
Gilley stated that the “drop dead” day for the land deals to close would be September 12th. “The day we close on the property, we will move dirt. You can count on that.” said Gilley. He characterized the project as being a “massive entertainment community extravaganza” that was not similar in scope to a residential complex. “We have done some large real estate projects in the past and we’ve finished every single one of them, by the way, but we’ve never done one of this magnitude and it’s just a little longer process than what the norms are for a residential development.”
Gilley countered claims that C.C. jobs would be low paying jobs. He said that there would be some low paying jobs, but there would be high paying jobs, too. According to Gilley, on average the pay would be $12.00 per hour and higher.
Regarding rumors that an investor had pulled out, Gilley said “One investor pulled out; there was validity to that but we replaced him times ten.”
Gilley then gave an update on the C.C. project.
- Phase 1 environmental: complete.
- Wetlands delineations study: complete.
- Boundary Survey: complete.
- Topographic Survey: 75% complete.
- Sewer Study: 50% complete. Indications were that the Town of Rehobeth had an interest in providing a treatment plant.
- Cultural Resources Assessment (archeological): 50% complete.
- Phase 1 Land Plan: 95% complete.
- Traffic Study: 25% complete. Indications were for two entrances on Hwy.231 and one entrance on Hwy 109, all with traffic signals.
- Architecture and design: in progress.
Gilley then gave a glimpse of what the Phase 1 project would entail. Restaurants, retail shops, a hotel, and a Bingo parlor would be by the main entrance. By these attractions, a lake would be surrounded by a boardwalk to make the complex pedestrian friendly. Two diner theaters would also be part of Phase 1 which would include George Jones’s Possum Holler, a two story building that will also house Jones’s extensive collection of memorabilia. Also included in the first phase will be an amphitheatre, R.V. Park and fairgrounds. The Water Park will not break ground this year, according to Gilley. He described the Water Park as Panama City Splash times 150.
When asked about the possibility of residential developments in the complex, Gilley said that the only plans currently were for 120 cluster condos. He stated that there were several commitments for out-parcels to include four hotels, retail shops, and “big name” entertainment venues. He said any residential developments would likely be done by other developers on out parcels as he had a full plate with the current project.
One on one meetings are being planned with those involved in filling infrastructure needs for C.C. to include: electric needs, water, sewer, telecommunications, gas, fire/rescue, and law enforcement.
Gilley talked about the tight credit market that was making progress a challenge, but emphasized that even though the economy was down, entertainment was up. Gilley said that entertainment thrives more in rough times, more so then in positive times. According to Gilley, entertainment is up 11%.
Gilley said that the land plans would not change again and that the first facility would open in September of 2009.
